Page 26 of False Start

She waves. “Have fun being all smart and shit!”

He chuckles, his eyes locking on mine. “Talk to you later.”

“Yeah, okay,” I say, but I don’t want him to go. I know I’m being a clingy, needy asshole, but I can’t help it. His college friends get him all the time, and he can’t spare a few minutes for me?

I hang up the phone and place it on the bed next to me, letting out a long huff. I know I’m not being fair, but I can’t seem to help it. I lie back on the bed, and Vanessa climbs over next to me, tucking herself to my side.

It feels good, of course. I like having her here, but I can’t stop thinking about Austin. Missing him.

“Oh my God. This is just sad,” she says, a teasing lilt to her tone, and I know I’m a lucky guy because no other girl would put up with a boyfriend this obsessed with his best friend like she does. “You should go see him.”

I turn my head to look at her. “Like now?”

She laughs, her hand resting over my heart and shakes her head. “No. Not now. It’s Wednesday, and you have practice and class, and he has class and studying. But this weekend.”

“Yeah?” For the first time since I got to college, I actually feel excited about something, and I sit up. “Yeah. I could go Friday after class. My last one gets out at three.”

She laughs, and I’m pretty sure she’s resisting rolling her eyes at me. “Are you going to tell him this plan?”

“Hell no. I’m going to surprise him.”

She rolls to her side and props her head up on her hand. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if he has company?”

I frown.Company?“What kind of...”Oh.“What? Like he’s with a guy or something? Hooking up?”

She laughs and rolls to her back. “That’s what some people do in college, you know.” Her not-so-subtle jab is probably at me and my lack of libido, but I’ve been busy and sad, okay? Totally normal.

“He’s not like that.”

She gives me a skeptical look but doesn’t argue with me, for which I’m glad. I can’t really explain the uncomfortable feeling twisting my stomach, thinking about walking in on him with some guy.

But the excitement about seeing him doesn’t fade at all.

I can’t wait to go visit my best friend.

Maybe he can show me what makes college so great and what’s brought such a smile to his face.

14

AUSTIN

What a week. I’m exhausted, but it’s a good kind of exhausted. One that feels productive and like I actually learned a lot. In high school, I honestly felt bored most of the time. It probably makes me sound like an asshole, but there was no real challenge there.

The classes I’m taking here—they challenge me. They force me to really think, and I’m loving every second of it. Okay, almost every second of it because my mind always goes back to Vaughn.

He looked so sad on our video call on Wednesday. So lost. That’s not at all what I want for my best friend. I need him to be thriving too. Hopefully, he’ll get there and really soon. He did seem to be in a much better mood when I talked to him that night.

“You heading to the dining hall?” I look over at my roommate, Evan, and nod as he grabs his duffle bag from his closet and starts to pack.

“Yeah, I think so. You?”

“Nah. I’ll just grab dinner at home.”

I grin, but then there’s a knock on our door that gets my attention. “Expecting someone?”

He shakes his head. “Nope. Already told Lisa goodbye.”

“Well maybe she wants one last kiss,” I tease, and he tosses a pair of his socks at me. I catch them and throw them back as I pull open the door, certain I’m right about it being his girlfriend—the two are disgustingly and adorably in looooove.

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